Croatia and Morocco are the surprise guests in the World Cup's final four but, as the Croatians discovered in 2018 and many other long-shot semi-finalists have before them, the two remaining steps to become world champions can be the steepest.

The FIFA World Cup is undoubtedly one of the biggest sporting events in history and is currently the talk of the town. With so much glory surrounding this magnificent tournament, the iconic trophy that is football’s biggest mark of honour has a host of interesting stories captivated within it — most of which you probably never heard of.

In a matter of three days, five-time champions Brazil got to see both sides of the coin as they came into their quarter-final clash against Croatia on the back of a 4-1 mauling of South Korea but then had to taste a bitter defeat against the 2018 runners-up that put an end to their mission Hexa.

Football, as we know it, is quite possibly one of the most intense sports out there. The rivalry between athletes and the immense pressure of winning means that sportsmanship often takes a backseat while gamesmanship is all that matters. Despite the fierce competition, however, we have witnessed some truly amazing moments of generosity in football history. Here are some of the times when kind-hearted acts by the players left us in awe.

There have been five red cards at the Fifa World Cup 2022 in Qatar so far. The first sending-off came for Wales when they played Iran in their Group B clash. Wayne Hennessey was shown a red card for clobbering Mehdi Taremi in the last 10 minutes of their second game.

Every match has its moments. The rhythmic chants and enthusiasm bring the stadium to life and supporters play a big role in giving their team that extra push. Football being a worldwide sensation, it is no surprise that at times fans go above and beyond when necessary or use the field to make themselves heard. Sometimes, fans can be a little extra themselves and become the centre of attention.

African teams have claimed several giant-killing results at World Cups but nothing like the unprecedented run of Morocco in Qatar that will fuel hopes of more representation at future tournaments.

India batter Virat Kohli backed his inspiration Cristiano Ronaldo as he backed his role model after Portugal crashed out of the World Cup quarter-final against Morocco on Saturday.

Legendary German footballer and a member of FIFA’s Technical Study Group (TSG), Jurgen Klinsmann, opined that Brazil made a mistake by not sending their best penalty takers in their quarterfinal defeat against Croatia. 

Real Madrid stalwart Luka Modric after yet another fine performance against Brazil in the quarter-final of FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar revealed that he sees glimpses of his club mentality in the Croatian side.

Croatia striker Bruno Petkovic says the team's mental strength that has propelled them to two penalty shoot-out wins at the World Cup has deep roots in the country's struggle for independence.

Argentina is planning to open its embassy in Bangladesh. The decision might have been boosted by Bangladesh's support of Lionel Messi's team in the football World Cup in Qatar, according to the Merco Press, a South Atlantic News Agency.

Cristiano Ronaldo running to the tunnel in tears and as desolate as the football world has ever seen him will be the lasting image for Portugal fans looking back on the World Cup in Qatar. Ronaldo, a five-times Ballon D’Or winner, arrived with a mission to prove he could still make a difference.

Gareth Southgate said he would take his time before he makes a decision over his future as England coach after the bitter disappointment of their World Cup quarter-final defeat against France.

In his fourth year as Argentina coach, Lionel Scaloni has transformed his side as hot-favourites leading up to the ongoing World Cup. But those aspirations soon took a hit with a shock loss to Saudi Arabia in their opening group-stage fixture, ending Albiceleste’s 36-match unbeaten run.

As the world heads into the final week of the Qatar 2022 with only four matches left, including an irrelevant one involving the third-place decider, the focus will be on whether Kylian Mbappe can lead the French to a consecutive World Cup title or whether Lionel Messi can end Argentina’s 36-year wait for a third world title.

Coach Didier Deschamps said France beat a good England side with their “heart and guts” on Saturday to move into the World Cup semi-finals and keep alive their hopes of back-to-back titles.

England's hopes of lifting the World Cup might have been dashed but Manchester City duo Kyle Walker and John Stones did not want to leave Qatar completely empty handed -- hence they will be taking home a stray cat befriended by the team at their training base.

Yassine Bounou has learned to be patient in his career, but the Morocco goalkeeper with a show-stopping nickname is proving he more than belongs on the big stage at this World Cup.

Lionel Messi and Argentina's bid for a third World Cup crown is being boosted by hordes of travelling fans that have transformed each of their matches in Qatar into virtual home games.